Remote maneuver snap-hook making it possible to make a rope fast

ABSTRACT

The snap-hook (2) comprises a tilting finger (5) provided with a pivoting lever (10) intended to bear or not on the external edge of the body (4) of the snap-hook according to the position of the lever (10) with respect to the tilting finger (5), the lever (10) having a free end which projects beyond the body (4) of the snap-hook and which has an opening (14). According to the invention, the opening (14) has a rounded shape on the side of the extremity of the lever (10), and the dimensions of the opening are such that it is possible to engage the extremity of a shank for the remote displacement and actuation of the lever (10), and which is provided with a shoulder at the extremity, particularly the stud (16) which conventionally terminates a boat hook (15) used in boating, and on the other hand, provided for the pivoting of lever (10) with respect to the shank in a plane parallel to the plane of the snap-hook (2).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a snap-hook making it possible tosecure a rope to a distant fixed point or to release this rope from thisfixed point, also from a distance.

It is often necessary, especially in boating, to secure something inthis way to a fixed point lying some distance away. This situationarises for example when a boat is to be made fast to an anchor buoy, toa quay equipped with rings or with railings, or to the rungs of a ladderin a lock.

It may in practice be difficult, dangerous or even impossible to getnear to the fixed point in order to tie or pass the rope directly aroundsaid fixed point.

The use of snap-hooks for securing in this way is known. Thesesnap-hooks make it easier to secure or to release the rope but stillhave to be manoeuvered manually in order to be opened and to be held inthe open position, which means getting near to this fixed point. Theaforementioned problem is therefore not solved.

American Patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,991 describes a snap-hook for aparachute harness. The tilting finger for closing or for opening thissnap-hook comprises a lever which can pivot about an axis perpendicularto the plane of the snap-hook, which is equipped with a transverse barcapable of bearing or of not bearing on the outer edge of the body ofthe snap-hook depending on the position of the lever with respect to thetilting finger. When this bar comes to bear against the outer edge ofthe body of the snap-hook this allows the finger to be tilted into theposition in which the snap-hook is partially open.

The lever on this snap-hook is intended only to be actuated manually,and not from a distance. In particular, the opening that the free end ofthe lever comprises serves only to allow the attachment of a tab to begrasped by hand, and is not shaped to allow the snap-hook to betransported toward a distant securing point, or to allow the lever to bemanoeuvered from a distance.

This snap-hook is therefore unable to allow securing from a distance asindicated hereinabove.

Furthermore, the partial opening of this snap-hook does not in any wayallow engagement over a distant securing point.

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks by providing asnap-hook which can be transported, engaged over the securing point andmanoeuvered from a distance, this snap-hook furthermore having to remainsimple and quick to use, be easy to open, even from a distance, be ableto be actuated especially with a conventional boat-hook very often usedin boating, and be simple to manufacture.

This snap-hook in of the type described by the aforementioned Americanpatent, comprising a lever the free end of which projects beyond thebody of the snap-hook and has an opening.

According to the invention, this opening has a rounded shape on the sameside as the end of the lever and has dimensions which on the one handallow the engagement of the end of a rod for transporting and actuatingthe lever from a distance, this rod being equipped at this end with ashoulder, especially the stud conventionally to be found at the end of aboat-hook used in boating and, on the other hand, allow the lever to bepivoted with respect to this rod in a plane parallel to the plane of thesnap-hook.

By virtue of this opening, the lever according to the invention can beengaged over the end of the rod, especially on the aforementioned studof a boat-hook, until it rests against said shoulder.

The pivoting of the end of the rod in the opening of the lever allows anaxial thrust to be exerted on the rod and/or a pull to be exerted on therope attached to the snap-hook in order to shift the lever and cause thefinger of the snap-hook to tilt into the open position.

The rounded shape of the opening allows the lever, when it is in thepivoted position, to come to rest against either side of the end part ofthe rod, especially the base of the stud of a boat-hook, in a positionwhich is at an angle with respect to this part. This resting has theeffect of perfectly immobilizing the snap-hook with respect to the rod.

The rod thus allows the snap-hook together with the rope attached to itto be carried toward the distant securing point, without the risk of itescaping, and allows the snap-hook easily to be engaged, from adistance, around the securing point, owing to the absence of playbetween the snap-hook and the rod.

The lever returns to its original position when the rod is withdrawn,which allows the snap-hook to close.

The snap-hook may be reopened by means of the rod by engaging its end inthe opening and pushing the lever, in the same way as indicatedhereinabove.

The snap-hook may also be equipped with a flexible cord attached to thelever and passing through an eye formed in the body of the snap-hook.Pulling on this cord first of all allows the lever to be shifted alongthe body of the snap-hook in order to tilt the finger into the openposition then secondly, that is to say when the lever has reached theend of its travel, allows the snap-hook to be tilted with respect to thesecuring point, in order to disengage it therefrom. This tilting isfavoured by the curved shape exhibited by the body of the snap-hook.

Advantageously, the lever is not straight but has point of inflexion atthe base of the opening so that its part delimiting the opening isoffset on the side of the snap-hook attached to the rope. This point ofinflexion makes it possible to increase the excursion of the lever aboutthe end of the rod and open the snap-hook wide, which makes engagementaround the securing point easier.

The lever is preferably made of metal wire of circular section, whichfavours the introduction of the end of the rod into the opening of thelever, for opening the snap-hook from a distance.

To make it easier to understand, the invention is described againhereinbelow with reference to the diagrammatic appended drawing which,by way of non-limiting examples represent several embodiments of thesnap-hook to which it relates.

FIG. 1 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 2 is an end-on view thereof;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views during operation in two different positions;

FIG. 5 is a side view thereof according to an alternative form, in afirst position;

FIG. 6 is a view thereof similar to FIG. 5, in a second position, and

FIGS. 7 to 9 are views thereof according to three other alternativeforms.

FIG. 1 represents a snap-hook 2 attached to a rope 3.

The snap-hook 2 comprises, in the conventional way, a body 4, a tiltingfinger 5, mounted so that it can pivot on the body 4 about a pin 6, andelastic means (not visible) for returning the finger 5 to the positionshown in FIG. 1, in which the snap-hook 2 is closed.

The body 4 has an end 4a forming an eye 7 for receiving the rope, anopposite end 4b of curved shape and a portion 4c situated on theopposite side to the tilting finger 5. The latter and the portion 4cdiverge from one another in the direction away from the eye 7.

The snap-hook 2 is also equipped with a lever 10, visible from twodifferent angles in FIGS. 1 and 2.

This lever 10 is made of metal wire of circular section with a diameterof the order of 1 or 2 millimeters. It is mounted so that it can pivoton the tilting finger 5 about a pin 11 parallel to the pin 6 and has atransverse bar 12 intended to bear against the part 4c of the body 4,and a free end 13 projecting beyond the body 4 of the snap-hook 2.

The free end 13 has an opening 14 with rounded shape on the same side asthe end of the lever 10, as is seen in FIG. 2.

The lever 10 is not straight but has a point of inflexion 19 at the baseof the opening 14 so that its part delimiting the opening 14 is offseton the side of the snap-hook 2 attached to the rope 3.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the snap-hook 2 and the lever 10 as well as aconventional boat-hook 15 commonly caused in boating.

It may be seen by comparing these figures that the end stud 16 of theboat-hook 15 can be engaged through the opening 14 and that the lever 10can pivot therein with respect to this stud 16 in a plane parallel tothe plane of the snap-hook 2.

This engagement and this pivoting allow the snap-hook 2 to be hookedonto the boat-hook 15 and an axial thrust to be exerted on the boat-hook15 and/or a pull to be exerted on the rope 3 in order to shift the lever10. As the bar 12 moves from the portion 4c1 to the portion 4c2 situatedbeyond the circular arc 20, this makes the finger 5 tilt into the openposition. The more steeply the portion 4c of the body 4 deviates fromsaid circular arc 20, the more rapid this tilting will be, and this isthe situation with the snap-hook 2, of which the tilting finger 5 andthe portion 4c diverge from one another away from the eye 7.

The rounded shape of the opening allows the lever 10, when it is in thepivoted position, to come to rest against either side of the base of thestud 16, in a position which is at an angle with respect to this stud.This resting has the effect of perfectly immobilizing the snap-hook 2with respect to the boat-hook 15.

The boat-hook 15 thus allows the snap-hook 2 together with the rope 3attached to it to be carried toward the distant securing point, withoutthe risk of it escaping, and allows the snap-hook 2 easily to beengaged, from a distance, around the securing point, owing to theabsence of play between the snap-hook 2 and the boat-hook 15.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show that the free end 13 of the lever 10 can be attachedto a flexible cord 25 passing through an eye 26 situated substantiallylevel with the free end of the tilting finger 5 on the opposite sidethereto. Pulling on this cord 25 first of all allows the lever 10 to beshifted along the body of the snap-hook 2 in order to tilt the finger 5into the open position in the way described hereinabove then secondly,that is to say when the lever 10 has reached the end of its travel andis close to said eye 26, allows the snap-hook 2 to be tilted withrespect to the securing point 30 over which it is engaged. This tiltingis favoured by the curved shape exhibited by the portion 4b of the body4.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to theembodiment described hereinabove by way of example but that itencompasses all alternative forms thereof.

Thus, the transverse bar 12 may slide not over the outer edge of theportion 4c of the body 4 but inside a longitudinal slot 27 formedtherein.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show that the snap-hook may comprise means for holdingthe lever 10 in the position in which the snap-hook 2 is closed or open,namely, respectively, a notch 30 and a spring 31, an internal transversebar 32 of curved shape allowing the lever 10 to be jammed in the closedposition, or a double point of inflexion 33 of the body 4 delimiting anexternal recess 34 for holding the lever 10 in the open position.

Furthermore, the snap-hook according to the invention may be used infields other than boating, and be manoeuvered by any type of rod havinga shoulder at one 30 end.

What is claimed is:
 1. A snap-hook for use with a rod, the snap-hookmaking it possible to secure a rope to a distant fixed point or torelease this rope from this fixed point, also from a distance,comprising:a tilting finger equipped with a pivoting lever capable ofbearing or of not bearing on an outer edge of a body of the snap-hookdepending on the position of the lever with respect to the tiltingfinger, the lever pivoting with respect to the tilting finger and to thebody, and having a free end which projects beyond the body of thesnap-hook, the free end having an opening, the snap-hook beingcharacterized in that the opening has a rounded shape on the same sideas the free end of the lever and has dimensions which on the one handallow the engagement of an end of the rod for transporting and actuatingthe lever from a distance, the rod being equipped at the end with ashoulder having a stud, the stud conventionally to be found at the endof a boat-hook used in boating and, on the other hand, allow the leverto be pivoted with respect to this rod in a plane parallel to the planeof the snap-hook.
 2. Snap-hook according to claim 1, characterized inthat the lever has a point of inflexion at the base of the opening sothat a part delimiting the opening is offset on the side of thesnap-hook attached to the rope.
 3. Snap-hook according to claim 1,characterized in that the lever is made of metal wire of circularsection.
 4. Snap-hook according to claim 1, further comprising aflexible cord attached to the lever and passing through an eye formed inthe body.
 5. Snap-hook according to claim 1, characterized in that atransverse bar of the lever which comes to bear against the body isengaged inside a longitudinal slot formed in the portion of the body. 6.Snap-hook according to claim 1 further comprising means for keeping thelever in the position in which the snap-hook is closed or open, themeans comprising one of:a notch and a spring, an internal transverse barof curved shape, allowing the lever to be jammed in the closed position,and a double point of inflexion of the body delimiting an externalcavity for keeping the lever in the open position.